Let's Give Birth to the 10th Legion! Aborted!

[RK47]

A glowing endorsement to this glowing pile of turd:

#7. Dungeon Siege 3. Whenever the original designer or design team outsources a sequel, have a plumber on speed dial. Chris Taylor was proud to put his name on the first and second games. While I doubt anyone would call even the first one "great," Dungeon Siege was entertaining and compelling enough to finish. Perhaps in a foolish and misguided effort to "adapt for console gamers," we end up with the clunky interface of the turd, er, third game. A bigger problem, though, is the forgettable cast of characters and gameplay shallower than a water-saving toilet basin. I guess they're taking the "siege" part seriously, particularly the part about sitting around and being really bored. I think all of us really wanted to see this game do well, since another great rpg (even an action RPG) would be really welcome right now. Something totally awesome!!! Damn, I selected the wrong curtain and got Dungeon Siege 3 instead.

Source: MattChat

Dungeon Siege was entertaining and compelling enough to finish.
I can understand his frustration, but what are you expecting from Dungeon Siege franchise? A compelling storyline? What? Only Uwe Boll can find a compelling story to make a movie out of the original Dungeon Siege.

 

[Excidium]

To be fair it was an Obsidian game, the only thing we could expect was at least a good storyline to compensate the shitty mechanics.

Ps. What's with her blue nipples.

Also:

Posts: 6666

 

[RK47]

Ah, Excidium...I'd blast DS 3 for short campaign and poor storyline, but I really can't fault their gameplay..it's a well polished turd combat worthy of a beat'em up like the classic D&D Arcade I was so addicted to.

It's a pity they didn't flesh it out with combo and move cancels. There's fluidity in combat, but the options available are so limited. Each character only has access to 9 moves in total by end game. And lengthy combo didn't pay off since most mobs die in 4-5 hits.

And to the horror of my first playthrough, YOU CANNOT SWITCH characters to try out different combat mechanics. What the fuck? What could be a good reason behind this? Even Marvel Ultimate Alliance had over two dozen characters and jumping from Nick Fury, Spiderman, Captain American and Human Torch is always a blast. Especially when each has better attacks against specific groups etc.

This didn't feel like a full game at all to me IMO.

 

[Darth Roxor]

it's a well polished turd combat worthy of a beat'em up like the classic D&D Arcade I was so addicted to.

Yup, this is also p. much how I'd describe the game. A beat 'em up. Just instead of going right and tapping the awesome button to kill stuff, you go up a 3D corridor tapping the awesome button to kill stuff.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Even Marvel Ultimate Alliance had over two dozen characters and jumping from Nick Fury, Spiderman, Captain American and Human Torch is always a blast. Especially when each has better attacks against specific groups etc.

I always liked the second Ultimate Alliance game, and it has almost the entire roster of Ellis' Thunderbolts as well. It's also a good demonstration on how easy it would have been to un-shitty the Civil War.

 

[RK47]

Chapter 3: The 10th Regroups

We return to Anjali and Guiscard, who barely escaped the ambush at the Montbarron Estate...

A good time to start a conversation and get some background info on this generic RPG world.

I think we're close to the old Legion Chapterhouse. If any of our friends are still alive, that's where they'll be.

The Legion had a chapterhouse here? In this valley?

They build chapterhouses in every part of Ehb. Even in remote places, like this. They were strongholds where legionnaires would meet. Sometimes in fellowship, sometimes for war. You should have seen the Grand Chapterhouse in Stonebridge...headquarters for the whole Legion. My father took me inside it, once.

I've never been here before. Does this valley have a name?

They call it the Rukkenvahl. It's hard country. Not easy to control, even with an army. That's why Odo chose this place. He thought we'd be safe here, while we trained a new Legion.

You said this is a hard country. Are there any dangers I should know about?

Spiders. They're as large as a man, and they're smart. They'll ambush traveler on the road. And there's worse things in the forest. Have you heard of the dakkenweyr...the Beast Lords? In other parts of Ehb, they're only stories. Out here...believe me, they're all too real.

Were the Montbarrons the only Legion family in the valley?

No. The Gunderics had a manor here, too. They were an old family, and they were here long before the Montbarrons. Stephan Gunderic didn't stand with the Legion at the end. I never heard what happened to him, or his family.

How many people live out here?

Only a few. There's a village - Ravel's Rill. Most of the people here are hunters and trappers, from all I've heard. Pilgrims and merchants used to come here, before the Legion fell. Made the town rich. But that was years ago, when the roads were still safe.

Thank you, that is all I need to know about the valley.

Sorry I couldn't tell you more. I've only been here a few weeks, myself.

Let's keep moving. We can talk more later.

You're right. The chapterhouse isn't far. Follow me.

This is our first save point - Dungeon Siege III doesn't allow you to save game freely. You have to find these points if you want to save. I don't really mind it. But it can get very annoying if you're in the middle of a dungeon run and you have to leave the game for something else more important. It's a good thing this game is very stable too, else the check point saves will fuck over many players.

We must follow Marten to a linear path towards the Chapterhouse, if you go elsewhere...you'd only meet a dead end. The path is blocked by a tree...but there's a corpse there to loot. This is often the case if you try to explore some zones. Often, there'd be a container waiting t be looted...yet not much in terms of content. With that business done, we return to the path with Marten, where he gives his tactical deductions...

They may have guessed that we'd make a run for the chapterhouse.

How? How do they know? Did Odo spill his notes? Did someone talk? What are you basing it on?

No help for it, though. That's where we agreed to meet.

Right...Captain Linear.

Well, excuse me while I loot this corpse...

They could come for us anywhere...at any time.

Yeah, like Dragon Age II, amirite? Continue along the path, and we find an abandoned military camp...

(Intelligence)

That means they know we're still alive...and they're still hunting for us. We might find out what they're planning.

Whatever you say man, I'm looting this camp clean. Weapon racks, chests, barrels. Etc.

Gee, a save point! Why, I wonder?

Again, another Russian merc blocks our path. Let's play dumb!

Decent coin? What do you mean?

By the looks of you...you're legionnaires. That means I'll get a handsome bonus for your heads. The rest of the boys spread out, trying to run you to ground. But me, I'm clever - I know you'd bolt for this place.

Who's paying this 'bonus' for killing legionnaires?

I don't get paid for answering fool questions. I get paid for killing legionnaires.

"Foolish" is the word you're looking for.

Lively up, boys! It's time to earn some gold!

Bogdan is the first mini boss fight. You'll know you're facing tougher bosses when there's a health bar on top of the screen.

But we're still at tutorial stage and basically can't lose. I just burn the ground and toss fireballs...Oh gee, Marten, can't you just...pick up that green orb next to you and heal back to full health?

The gate opens!

If we're lucky...Odo is on the other side of this gate.

And he did nothing but watch as you got shot? Fuck's sake!

Here's Odo! The mastermind of the Legion's Rebirth. And the narrator of this generic tale!

Odo! You made it! But where are -

The others? The men and women I've kept safe for thirty years? Dead...all of them.

You don't seem hurt. How did you get out?

I rounded up a few of our people...the only ones who hadn't been killed. Reynald, Hanna...and one of the twins from Drakkenberb...Giles, I think. We jumped from the second floor of the house, made a break for the woods.

Tell me the rest.

Some of the mercenaries saw us. They fired their guns. I heard of the others cry out. Then there were more Lescanzi in front of us. We tried to fight our way through. By the time it was over...the others were dead. All I could do was make my way here.

Do you have any idea who's behind this?

I can think of a few possibilities. Jeyne Kassynder, for one. As long as we're alive, we're a threat... a symbol of the nation she destroyed. And there's the royal court...or what's left of it. They may still blame the Legion for the old King's dead.

That's two possibilities. Any others?

Anyone who stands to profit from civil war and bedlam. That's a long and formidable list.

Who else could have survived? We need to find them.

What about Lucas Montbarron? I didn't see him at the gathering. He wouldn't have known to meet us here, and he might still be alive.

And there's another survivor, too. The half-blood Lescanzi girl. I couldn't convince her to join us before, but things are different now. Might have been one or two others who hadn't arrived yet, when we were attacked. Hard to say.

I thought the Montbarrons were dead and gone.

All but one. Lucas is the youngest son of the old Grand Master, Hugh Montbarron. He was born just before the Legion's fall. Raised by friends of the Legion, passed from household to household, to avoid Jeyne Kassynder's spies.

What do you know about the Lescanzi woman? You say she has Legion blood, but is she really on our side?

She'll be a delicate problem. I don't expect her to join us, not yet.

We can't trust her, Odo...she's unpredictable, undiscripined, and -

Underdressed?

Doesn't matter. If there's Legion blood in her veins, she's family. I won't forsake her.

If they're alive, I'll find them. Marten, you'd better stay here.

What. Fuck! Why should Marten stay? I didn't choose that dialogue option!

I agree. You're bleeding, Guiscard, and you can barely stand up. I'll do what I can for Marten, but he'll be no help to you, not like this. I'm sorry...you'll be on your own, until you find the others.

You know this valley better than me. Where could they have gone?

Raven's Rill. It's the only town in the valley. The people here stayed true to the Legion, even when the rest of Ehb turned against us.

I'll head for Raven's Rill, then.

The town is west of here. Cross the bridge, and turn right at the crossroads. Try to find Lazar Bassili, the town boyar. He's an old friend and he'll help us, if he can. And be careful. Those mercenaries are still here, in the valley. Keep your eyes sharp, and come back safe.

At the end of conversation, Anjali levels up!

The biggest issue with Dungeon Siege III is the character system. The progression is very, very linear. You're stuck with 9 skills, and the order of picking will only determine which skill you can get earlier. Right now we're locked on to Tier 1 skill. Each tier contains one move for each stance, and a defensive skill. Tier 1 defensive skill we earned this time is Inner Warmth, a standard HP regen skill. Dungeon Siege III doesn't have healing potions. You'd think this would make this game more challenging but it doesn't. Why? Let's try to explain how Defensive Skills work.

Attack Skills like Flaming Kick and Aura of Immolation consumes Focus. These focus can only be regenerated by using regular attacks to hit an enemy. Special attacks that land don't give focus, so Anjali would probably need to build up some focus before she can spam some attacks.

Defensive Skills work differently. They consume a unit of Power. Power caps out at 4, I think and it's tied to levels. Don't expect to earn the 2nd Power Unit until 2 hours into the game. To generate Power, you just have to attack (special or regulars are counted), block attacks or be damaged until a full circle of Power is accumulated. So it's very easy to keep healing powers available. Not to mention active block works so well against hard hitting bosses...just make sure you have enough Focus.

The second part of the character customization is slightly better, but still shallow.

Proficiencies allow you to evolve an ability up to 5 times. Each ability has two possible options to improve. For example, you can put 4 Ranks of Fiery Presence for 40% increase damage and 1 Rank on Cauterize to give 2% HP return per second within the Aura of Immolation.

Some aren't really worth picking. Inner Warmth, for example, is not a good ability to improve.

Spinning Kick can be improved to have a chance to either stun, or burn enemies that are hit. Or both, if you have points on both. But for now, I'll invest on Cauterize. 2% max HP return within Aura of Immolation may not seem much...but at Rank 5, that's 10%...And that'll make Anjali so hard to kill in melee, I think.

So, let's move on to the next part of shallow customization.

Yeah, this is all standard stat boosting stuff. Some improves damage, or increases amount received from healing or critical rate. I put a point on Radiant Will because Willpower increases Ability damage. It's tier locked....so progression is very linear. Phoenix Wrath is quite nice as well, giving Anjali 10% chance to heal when hit per rank. But I think she has enough healing at the moment.

For now, we explore the chapterhouse and read up some books plus loot whatever we can...

The maps have no load time, and I kinda like how they do interior 3D design in here...you can descend or ascend up staircases...

Hmm, future quest hint?

According to the books I read, this is a Causeway.

I'm willing to bet it'll be reactivated...or maybe it's a derelict Reaper technology...And some background on our little Legion...

So...anyone dreaming of children are allowed into the Legion...cool. Jacko would fit right in. Laffo. Let's head down to the Chapterhouse basement....

Oh, what's this?

Ambush!

They look kinda creepy to me, but not really tough. Nothing is designed to kill you in the first hour of the game...and that's the sad truth.

We killed the small colony of spiders and popped their eggs to make baby spider BBQ. A few gold coins pop out from their corpses.

The Chapterhouse is cleansed of loot and monsters, Anjali is ready to tackle on greater challenges in the next update!

 

[korenzel]

I didn't catch what difficulty level you're playing on, but if you find the game so easy, you should play it on hard. I'm terrible at action games and could pull through all the way to the end on a first playthrough. Fights were hard, especially in the beginning when good equipment is limited, and some bosses were a real nightmare (the end of chapter 1's being one of the hardest), but nothing impossible. Since you've played other hack and slash games, that shouldn't be above you and would make the game more interesting to play.

I found active blocking to be essentially useless, as any substantial hit would drain all my focus and still damage me enough to kill me. Since standing in place and spamming attacks is out of the question, Focus becomes too valuable to waste blocking, and is better put to use towards dealing damage. Healing through the defensive power alone wasn't enough, especially since there is no passive regeneration at all in the game.

 

[Luzur]

we need more pics of djinni tits.

 

[RK47]

I didn't catch what difficulty level you're playing on, but if you find the game so easy, you should play it on hard. I'm terrible at action games and could pull through all the way to the end on a first playthrough. Fights were hard, especially in the beginning when good equipment is limited, and some bosses were a real nightmare (the end of chapter 1's being one of the hardest), but nothing impossible. Since you've played other hack and slash games, that shouldn't be above you and would make the game more interesting to play.

I found active blocking to be essentially useless, as any substantial hit would drain all my focus and still damage me enough to kill me. Since standing in place and spamming attacks is out of the question, Focus becomes too valuable to waste blocking, and is better put to use towards dealing damage. Healing through the defensive power alone wasn't enough, especially since there is no passive regeneration at all in the game.

I might play it on hard tonight, just to get a better feel of the combat. I'm on average difficulty but the lack of 'swarms' in attacks are disappointing. I guess I should be expecting to roll like Geralt of Rivia.

Oh yeah, basic stats breakdown:

Attack: Strength, basically - improves regular attacks.
Willpower: Increases your ability damage output.
Stamina: A point gives you stamina.
Agility: Increases critical rate.

There's Armor & Block ...but I'm not sure how to explain that. I guess Block increases chance of blocking? Armor absorbs damage since dodge is basically rolling away from harm.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I guess Block increases chance of blocking?

Decreases the focus cost, I think.

They look kinda creepy to me, but not really tough. Nothing is designed to kill you in the first hour of the game...and that's the sad truth.

Which is a shame, given how the demo had a lot more pumped up difficulty. That fight with the Russian merc was a blood gulch in the demo.

 

[RK47]

Yeah, there's no noticable difference in fighting hardcore mobs at all. It'd be nice if they actually come in larger numbers or such, but there's plenty of stupid AI instances like the ranged enemies actually rushing in close to get burned. Let's hope they ramp up the difficulty or I may just opt to fall asleep.

Atrociously boring is probably what I'd describe Dungeon Siege III's first hour.
If I still can't feel the challenge after the next few updates, I'll switch to Lucas or something.

 

[RK47]

Chapter 04: Exclamation Mark!

OK, continuing our adventure, we start off by increasing the difficulty to Hardcore...and still, I don't feel much of a challenge. Enemies do respawn off screen when you return to some zones, but that's basically it. They fall to the same tactics, set the ground ablaze, roll back to dodge arrows, then spinning kick to mow down the melee.

They die slower, but most encounters are a bore-fest at this point.

Oh, look what's so special about this corpse?

Oh dear...something in the water? Walking near the water edges did not trigger anything, guess a future quest is in order.

And a free chest of goods in the wilderness...in open view. Wonderful.

I can't really praise the loot variety much. It's so bland. Focusing on stamina gives better survivability, not to mention the percentage based heals gets more effective with higher max HP.

Oh, god. Finally. A boring conversation to enhance the boredom.

Why would you say that? Is there trouble in the village?

The Rill is an occupied town. Not sure how you got this far, with all the Lescanzi about.

I dealt with some mercenaries. They were a nuisance, nothing more.

Won't matter. The Lescanzi have the village surrounded, and they've fortified the upper town - it's a lost cause.

Do you know where I can find Lazar Bassili?

No. I haven't seen him...not since the mercenaries got here. Some of the folk in town may know more, but I doubt they'll tell you.

And why is that?

They're scared. The Lescanzi have already killed one of our constables, and now they're asking a lot of questions about legionnaires. Everyone knows the Legion is finished. It would be foolish to help you.

Gee, thanks for nothing.

Are you going to let me pass, or not?

I've no orders to stop you. Open the gates!

The Rill is pretty much a looooooooong, narrow corridor of non-explorable house. It's hard to understand why they can't model shops indoors etc. Preferring to keep static NPCs standing about.

....

No, obviously the exclamation mark says otherwise. Gimme a quest, bitch.

Can't a widow grieve in peace?

How did your husband die?

The mercenary filth marched in and took over the Rill. My husband, Vaclav, was a constable here in town. He spoke out against the invaders, and one of the bastards ran him through, without a second thought. Murdered him in cold blood! A curse on all Lescanzi!

Oh, how terrible! How.....VERY terrible! Really, I feel SO terrible.

This murderer needs to be brought to justice. Who was it?

I heard the others cheer his name, Boris, as he...I beg you, Legionnaire, avenge this wrong. Avenge my husband!

You'll have justice. I promise. What does this Boris look like, and where has he gone?

He wore a sash across his face. Bring me that sash, and I'll know the bastard is dead.

I really don't know where to find this Boris, but let's see if the quest tracker can assist us!

Hmmm. Not much help...but if you press R....

A mixture of and overwhelms me.

This is great. Just great. I can't possibly miss a quest now! Fuck gamefaqs and walkthrough! Following the path, we encounter another quest!

To Summarize:

Hi, my name is Florin, bandits took my wagon, kill 'em and I'll give you a discount!

These bastards don't even have a mini boss to back them up.

There's no option to be an asshole and rob this guy. C&C failure.

Browsing the inventory, you can see that all four possible character gears are for display. And portraits behind the name will indicate the user of this gear. As far as I know, only rings and necklaces are shared. The rest are unique to each character. We sell all our junk and continue onward, following the golden circles...Oh, I also bought an accessory that has a chance to cause Bleeding effect. (Bloodletting.) Spamming fireballs may trigger this...pretty overpowered, I feel.

And finally,...

Die. Die. Die. There really is nothing special about this encounter. I even gained level 3 from all the kills I made throughout the trip. And there's no town portal scrolls or waypoints. You literally walk the distance from wilderness back to town to report the quest...and get to kill respawning fodders along the way.

I bumped Cauterize to 4% heal per tick. I should max it out...

I noticed that the burning circle damage can actually crit. And that makes stunning chance on crit actually worthwhile to have. Not sure if I made the right choice, but the game is piss-easy enough. I doubt I'd regret much.

The peace I sought was not for me. With his death avenged, Vaclav's soul will find its way to the River. There exists a debt between us now, Legionnaire. One of blood...and kin.

Why so dramatic over it? Geez.

What can an old woman do, to repay such a debt?

I had the option to decline the reward...I'm not sure if it'll change anything...perhaps later...I'll try declining.

I need to know where I can find Lazar Bassili.

Ah, Lazar. Haven't seen him since the Lescanzi arrived. He may be dead, but...Grigori would know for certain. Those two are thick as thieves.

Anything you can spare to help our cause would be welcome.

Take this - it was Vaclav's. I know he would want you to have it...

This staff is actually a pretty decent reward and will serve us well. Stagger effect a chance to stun struck targets...very nice to have. With all the banal shit done...I'm calling an end to this update. It's been painfully boring. And I wish it improved. Could Matt really be right, is this the worst RPG of 2011?

We'll see...

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

I had the option to decline the reward...I'm not sure if it'll change anything...perhaps later...I'll try declining.

Spoiler

If you decline rewards to every quest in town, you get a small permanent boost to... Will (IIRC).

 

[korenzel]

OK, continuing our adventure, we start off by increasing the difficulty to Hardcore...and still, I don't feel much of a challenge. Enemies do respawn off screen when you return to some zones, but that's basically it. They fall to the same tactics, set the ground ablaze, roll back to dodge arrows, then spinning kick to mow down the melee.

I haven't played as the Djinn, but I remember the first chapter to be manageable apart from a particular sidequest (kill some fish people or something), then it got much harder once I entered the haunted mansion. Ghosts there could pretty much one hit kill me, making good dodging necessary for survival. If you can defeat the end of chapter 1 boss without trouble, then congratulations to you : the game will probably never pose any challenge.

This staff is actually a pretty decent reward and will serve us well. Stagger effect a chance to stun struck targets...very nice to have. With all the banal shit done...I'm calling an end to this update. It's been painfully boring. And I wish it improved. Could Matt really be right, is this the worst RPG of 2011?

We'll see...

Stagger's one of the best secondary effects to have, along with vampire.

 

[anus_pounder]

Saying the first hour is boring is an understatement. Until you beat the first true boss of the game, falling asleep IRL will be your biggest problem. It picks up after that, somewhat.

 

[Sordid Jester]

Had a friend bring this round to play couch co-op on the 360, and the game was quite a pleasant treat with two of us - harder to be bothered by the flaws when two buddies just dick around and make a joke about what'd be grating when you're on your own.

Game is definitely designed with that in mind. Trouble is, the camera is really an absolute abomination then; you can't control it, and it focuses on one character over the other (chosen randomly sometimes!?), even if they're DEAD; I have literally ran outside of the camera's view WITH some of the bosses and died OFF-SCREEN.

Good luck on getting through it solo. It at least becomes prettier further down the line.

 

[RK47]

Saying the first hour is boring is an understatement. Until you beat the first true boss of the game, falling asleep IRL will be your biggest problem. It picks up after that, somewhat.

Yeah, beat the boss, updating tonight. It was mildly challenging but they botched the gameplay with the invincible rolling. Fun is improving, though.

Remember how people used to joke that Witcher 2 combat is badly done?

Well, even if you roll a lot in Witcher, you can still die if you roll the wrong direction - like rolling towards the enemy's slash will kill you etc. Not so in DS III, I can roll underneath strikes and arrows. I once fought an rifleman...and ROLLED IN FRONT OF HIM TOWARDS HIS DIRECTION - gaining no ground since I'm practically rolling against his leg...and he still MISSED his shot. Perhaps this is true against melee as well...if so...then

 

[Sordid Jester]

IIRC rolling won't save you against AoE attacks if you initiate the roll too slowly to get out of the area. Can't remember about melee but yeah, you'll pretty much be safe against most generic mobs when rolling. Djinn and Reinhart's teleport moves do make you untouchable during them, though, only trouble there is they're slower in repeat use than rolling so you might get exploded inbetween using them.

 

[RK47]

IIRC rolling won't save you against AoE attacks if you initiate the roll too slowly to get out of the area. Can't remember about melee but yeah, you'll pretty much be safe against most generic mobs when rolling. Djinn and Reinhart's teleport moves do make you untouchable during them, though, only trouble there is they're slower in repeat use than rolling so you might get exploded inbetween using them.

Yeah, I was rolling with flame stance most of the time, so maybe that's it. Rolling backwards will break the AI at times, as well. They would give up the chase...and bleed to death.

 

[RK47]

Chapter 05: I like to party ~

We're back at Raven's Rill! Let's have a little bit of lore check.

But before we could proceed deeper into the small town...

As discreet as your cleavage?

Pretend that you know me. We're old friends, yes? Confidantes, sharing secrets about our lovers...

(Intelligence) I don't understand. Why would we share such secrets?

Why wouldn't we, my dear? But in any case, we're only pretending, yet? A ruse to fool any listeners. This town is a trap. An army of Lescanzi mercenaries is hiding in the upper Rill, behind the walls. More of them are in the forest, outside of town. They wait for you, and for your friends. The woman who hired them...she is not taking any chances.

You say this town is a trap. What's your role in it?

I am the bait. I was told to watch for legionnaires, and to warn the others, if I found you. They would come running from all directions, and you would be caught. Or killed.

Or maybe I could do the opposite and kill them, and gain the sweet EXP and loot. This game is missing the extreme options.

But my sister and I have other plans. So the trap won't be sprung. Bad luck for my employer, yes?

You're a Lescanzi. You'd betray your own people?

I decide who my people are, and who they are not. My loyalty does not come at a price.

Do you know who hired the mercenaries?

I won't speak her name, not when she's so close. You might think me foolish, but better foolish and safe than brazen and dead.

Very well. I am listening, tell me the rest.

Follow the western road out of town. My sister is waiting for you in a cave there. Her name is Leona. You would do well to speak with her.

Fine. We'll go there right away, after we shop a bit in town. Oh, here's some lore on Katrina's people.

OK...so...they're gypsies who don't mind to cross-breed?

I bought myself a nice vampiric charm before heading out.

Take note that the values of Chaos properties are related to increasing chance of the effect occurring. As you level up, the chance to trigger will be scaled accordingly, often requiring higher values to trigger more often.

Following the dots later...

Ah, new enemies. These are...witches. They fire projectile spells. One is a standard bolt, while the other one is homing that can't be dodged. When it hits you, it conjures a purple circle on the ground.

Step into this, and three hostile skeletons will rise to attack. Nasty.

Ah, here we are.

Another pair of tits. Really, Obsidian, what are you thinking? Since when do you rely on a pair of flesh to do the talking for you? I can just imagine a Planescape Torment remake in this engine...Fall From Grace's chest...and..Annah's glorious corset bursting at the ...Ugh better...stop. Stop.

If this is some kind of Lescanzi trick, you'll regret it.

Tsk, tsk. So mistrustful. You should remedy that, my dear, no man wants a shrewish wife.

Yeah, they prefer sluts like you.

Luckily, you needn't trust me to see the profit in my offer. You weren't the only one to escape the slaughter at the estate - but the others were soon recaptured or slain.

I expect Obsidian to set a trap for me...as often they did in most of their RPGs like Alpha Protocol, New Vegas and make the players think on their decisions, god knows Dungeon Siege III is in bad need of some excellent twists to keep the interest up...but so far, 2 hours in-game...there's nothing hooking me in except for gypsy tits. The whole mansion setup is too straightforward, Marten being a useless side character, and Odo the lazy mentor who sends you on errand are so goddamn generic. And the slut with a gun isn't helping...eh, where was I?

Why are you helping me? It must benefit you somehow.

Call it...an investment, with hope for a future relationship. No strings attached. You have my promise. I offer you this: a key that will open the prisoners' cages. If you hurry, they might still be saved.

I need to know more about you before I agree to this. How can I trust you?

I have not lured you into a trap. Is that not evidence of my good intent?

....Yeah, that is if you're developed by Gas Powered Games, but really, you're written by Obsidian here...PLEASE. DO SOMETHING INTERESTING.

But if you insist. My name is Leona, and I have goals that are not shared by my kinsmen. Is that sufficient, or shall we dicker about as the flames grow hot?

....dicks...grow...hot...fuck you. The word is BICKER. Or is this one of those sexual tension builder lines?

What kind of opposition can I expect?

Doubtless you have faced Lescanzi mercenaries already? More await below, but you've made it this far - they should prove little challenge. The witches may give you more pause. Their spells are deadly, and they have power over the dead. Be wary, but moreover, be quick.

I think we've asked enough questions, and there's not a single option to decline her offer. Like it or not, you have to rescue the prisoner and trust this slut.

Very well. I'll accept your gift, and if it turns out to be genuine, you'll have my thanks.

BRB Later for the update!

 

[Gondolin]

This game is generic and boring.

 

[RK47]

I don't think I can argue with Gondolin there...hahah.

So, it's time to siege a dungeon. The array of mercs fall to the standard light a fire, and teleport back.

Even a mini-boss archer was mistaken for a normal monster, and I was taking my sweet time whacking him on the face. Moving on...finally....

Release your prisoners and leave in peace, and I'll spare your lives.

Intimidation: Failure?

Ha! You are a bold one, but I'm afraid not. I fear my employer far more than I fear you, little Legionnaire. But now that you are here...you have saved us the trouble of hunting you down.

BOSS FIGHT!

Vera is mildly challenging. The biggest issue with this fight is that you start out mobbed from left and right. The best approach is just to back off...think of what to kill first before mashing left clicks. Oh, I also spent my power to restore health immediately, since fighting and taking damage regenerates power.

Vera is backed with several mercs, and witches. The mercs are slightly faster, but the bigger issue is the ranged bolts that kept coming. And remember the witch's circle can summon undead if stepped on.

What I did is merely clear our the humanoid first, then the undead that spawned...before nailing the witches.

Only then Vera can be dealt with, at minimal risk. She possess a 5 shot spread bolt attack. And the homing undead summon. And if you get too close, she'll use the circle aura attack, which she is executing now, to severely damage you. I merely stood at a distance and rained fireballs.

Of course, to quicken the process, I can slip in a ring of fire right under her and roll out...and she fell without much trouble. In this level up, I pumped more into health gains and Willpower bonus. Time for sweet looting!

Nope, not here.

Uhh....ok. Kid bores me, let's skip his chat...he's basically a young Legionnaire and won't be participating in the upcoming battles. Just a wimp. The other prisoner, however...

But..were you at the estate? How did you get out?

Guiscard survived, as well. Neither of us would have gotten out alone.

Errr...what the fuck are you talking about? All he had to do is lit 3 barrels and make his way out. OK, so maybe that bullet wound may be fatal if he was alone...still, he DID make it out of the mansion without fighting a single merc.

Good old Marten! His father died with mine in the Mournweald.

And that's why he's your good friend, am I right?

If we live through this...and rebuild the Legion...he'd make a fine Grand Master.

On what basis is this thought established on? Stop planting stupid ideas into the player's heads! They barely know or got interested into the game's lore and already you're yapping some random future scenario.

What else do you know about Guiscard?

He fought in the wars. Doesn't talk about it much. I'm not even sure which side he took, but it must have been the royals. Surely not the Church, or the mockery it's become, in the hands of Jeyne Kassynder.

Are you from a Legion family?

Sorry, I should have introduced myself properly. I am Lucas Montbarron.

You're the osn of Hugh Montbarron? So the estate that burned down...that was yours?

My family's estate, not mine. I had no love for that place. No real memories of it, either. Better that it's gone. We ought to put that part of our past behind us.

Odo and Marten are waiting. They sent me to find survivors.

I knew Odo would get out alive. The old man's a survivor. I'll give him that. But lead on - I'll follow close.

Finally, we have a party!

Lucas is a front liner, and has no ranged attack to speak of. He does gain access to a weak ranged ability, but that's further in Tier 2 and require focus to pull off. He is capable of dishing out good damage with his 2 handed stance, though. While his shield stance grants him better defense and a stunning attack .

The biggest issue with AI controlled party member is that they prefer certain stances, and I can't really force them to switch. They'd so often switch back at random and it makes investing on proficiencies a crap-shoot.

Talent-wise, Lucas can increase critical damage, use Willpower to enhance attack, gain health after kills, or increase his attack some more.

He'll never be outleveled, but the issue is with gear distribution. And don't pay too much attention to influence bar. It grants stat bonuses to you like NWN2, but don't expect to unlock additional conversations or having romance with these 2D characters. They're just incapable of romance and would rather much prefer to siege a dungeon. Another reason why this game sold badly, perhaps. If not, the amount of flaming hot romance fanfics between Lucas and Anjali as well as wincest between him and slut-cowgirl would overflow.

Yeah, slut. How about a reward?

Now then, since you've accomplished your goals, I wonder if you wouldn't be willing to do me a favor.

What. The. Fuck?

How did I know you were going to want something out of me?

Oh, come now, darling. After all I did for you, you can certainly spare a little time to help dear Leona.

I can help you...get you out of your clothes.

I have come...

...into possession of a key - a key that opens the gate of Gunderic Manor.

I need a bright, clever girl to go in ahead of me and make it safe - so naturally, I thought of you, my dear.

I want to know more about the manor, first.

Gunderic Manor was where the Legion trained its mages. They are all long dead, of course, and the house abandoned, but it may still prove useful.

What do you want out of the manor?

What does any self-respecting witch want out of a place like that?

Is that a trick question?

Magic, my dear. Before the Legion was destroyed, Lord Gunderic studied all manner of sorceries - Legion magic, Lescanzi magic, the spells of the First People...

Surely you can't hope to learn all those magics yourself.

Perhaps I can, and perhaps I cannot. Still, just to have a resource like Gunderic's libraries...and, of course, it would be quite the bargaining chip.

You already have the key - what do you need me for?

The mansion is abandoned, but it is not empty. The lord and his dead servants still roam the halls, slaying any who intrude. My arts give me some power over the dead, but not that much. I need the manor to be cleared before I take possession.

Fine, I guess we want more loot and exp...and who knows, I might get challenged in there..

All right. Give me the key, I'll go look into it.

Wonderful! Such generosity deserves an immediate reward, so I'll tell you what I know of those who hunt you.

....is it really THAT important?

The attack on the Montbarron Estate - Lescanzi mercenaries did the bulk of the fighting, but their leader was a woman named Rajani.

That's not much to go on.

Sigh.

I do not know who she is. Or perhaps..what what she is is more apropos. But she has great wealth behind her. She hired half the Lescanzi clans in southern Ehb and marched them here, to stop you...to stop the Legion from being reborn. You might be interested to learn that she has bivouacked herself in the town hall. If you desire vengeance, that is where you should go.

If she is that powerful, I could use more assistance than just her name.

She is powerful, but I am not without my own power. Deliver Gunderic Mansion to me, and I may just have something for you to even the field.

OK. So we have two options (I think)
A. Go after Rajani, in Upper Rill. A challenging fight awaits us.

or

B. Clear the Gunderic Mansion, in return Leona will reward us with something that may aid us against Rajani.

How about a vote? I really want to imagine this game has some C&C?

 

[Radisshu]

Another pair of tits. Really, Obsidian, what are you thinking? Since when do you rely on a pair of flesh to do the talking for you? I can just imagine a Planescape Torment remake in this engine...Fall From Grace's chest...and..Annah's glorious corset bursting at the ...Ugh better...stop. Stop.

 

[Radisshu]

B. Prepare for the fight etc

 

[lightbane]

B. Because it may give you more loot!!